EST. 2024 · A LEADERSHIP COLLECTIVE FOR YOUNG WOMEN

Cultivating the next
generation of leaders.

Growing Leaders Forum is a leadership collective built on one belief: developing the next generation of female leaders requires intention, investment, and extraordinary community.

Explore the collective Watch the season recap

A member of Growing Leaders Forum in a sunlit office

“Getting to see successful women on stage shifted my perspective. It showed me not only how hard it is to succeed, but also how rewarding it is and that it is completely possible.”

01 — THE GROWING LEADERS FORUM

More than a program.
A shift in what’s possible.

Growing Leaders Forum helps young women build more than entrepreneurial skills; it helps them build confidence, connections, and the belief that they belong. Across participant and parent surveys, one outcome emerges consistently: girls leave seeing themselves differently.

By connecting participants with inspiring founders, funders, and executives, GLF expands what’s possible. Girls discover that successful women are approachable, mentorship is available, and entrepreneurship is a path they can see themselves pursuing.

100%Increase in financial literacy

98%Report new confidence

80+Women leaders accessed

02 — The impact

Girls leave seeing themselves differently.

Girls leave believing their ideas matter, that they belong in rooms where decisions are made, and that they have the confidence, community, and connections to build whatever comes next.

“The more our daughters can see themselves in those who make a difference, the more they will be able to step into those roles themselves.”

GLF PARENT

Confidence beccomes action

Our exit data shows increased confidence translates into behavior. Girls are speak up, network with accomplished women, pursue business ideas, and launch ventures on their own.

Identities shift

Girls move from wondering if they fit into entrepreneurial spaces to believing: I belong. My ideas matter. I can build something. Parents independently observedthis same shift.

Access changes expectations

Meeting founders and hearing authentic stories helps girls realize successful women are approachable, mentorship is available, and entrepreneurship is achievable. There is a network ready to support them.

The impact reaches families

Parents describe conversations at the dinner table about investing, leadership, and women supporting women: a ripple effect few youth programs can demonstrate.

Community becomes the advantage

Participants consistently reference connections, mentorship, and lasting friendships. Rather than attending an event, they leave feeling they have joined a community.

Lasting transformation

Confidence becomes action. Identities shift. Access changes expectations. Outcomes outlast the program itself. GLF alumni are encouraged to give back to the program.

03 — The program

Nine months, one cohort.

Using The Forum Pitch competition as a real-world classroom from Semifinals through to the Finale, participants have a front-row seat to the entrepreneurial journey: exploring how ideas take shape, how founders build values-driven brands, how funding decisions are made, and how businesses move from concept to market.

The nine-month journey is a curated, high-touch immersion into leadership, personal brand, confidence, financial literacy, collaboration, AI, and values: interlaid with in-person moments for learning, interaction, collaboration, and community.

01 / Exposure & Visibility

Meet the leaders.

Time with diverse women founders, funders, and executives: role models who make what's possible feel personal and reachable.

02 / Experiential Learning

Learn by doing.

Hands-on training in finance, entrepreneurship, brand, and leadership, anchored by The Forum Pitch program from Semifinals to Finale.

03 / Community

A cohort of peers.

A close community of young women across high schools. Belonging, inspiration, and friendships that outlast the program.

04 / Certification

Recognized outcomes.

A completion certificate documenting skills and hours for resumes and university applications, verified by The Forum.

05 / Generational Impact

Families in the room.

Mothers and guardians join key in-person experiences, sparking the conversations at home that turn a program into legacy discussions.

▶View the 2025/26 GLF Cohort recapWatch →

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04 — The leaders behind GLF

Vision, experience, and a shared belief.

Melinda and Christina bring vision, friendship, enthusiasm, and experience to GLF. United in their belief that you can’t be what you can’t see.

Melinda Giampietro

Founder & President, Options Solutions

Melinda founded Canada's premier educational consulting firm specializing in personalized post-secondary preparedness. With more than 30 years of experience, she has guided thousands of students across Canada, the US, and Europe. She co-created GLF to give young women early exposure to role models, training, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Christina Brown

BOARD MEMBER, CHAIR OF STRAGIC ENGAGEMENT, THE FORUM

A passionate advocate for women entrepreneurs, Christina has spent the last decade growing The Forum Pitch program: one of Canada's premier platforms for women founders. With GLF, she extends that experience to the next generation, ensuring young women can see themselves as bold leaders shaping the future.

05 — Stories from the cohort

“Through powerful real-world examples, the Growing Leaders Forum broadened my daughter's perspective on what is possible in entrepreneurship, investing, networking, and leadership.”

Shannon Humphrey

GLF PARENT

“Being around strong, inspiring women and learning about their entrepreneurial journeys was an incredible opportunity. I will never forget this experience: I'm excited to think bigger.”

Beatrix

GLF PARTICIPANT

07 — In partnership with

Education & Pitch Program

Pitch Finale Table Sponsor

Venue Sponsor

Venue and AV Sponsor

EDUCATION SPONSOR

We partner with a small circle of corporate sponsors whose values align with ours: brands invested in the long arc of young women’s leadership.

Sponsorship enquiries

08 — Our presenters

A community of founders, operators, funders, and mentors who have shared their stories and journeys at Growing Leaders Forum events and collaborations.

More than a program.A shift in what’s possible.